Heating unit for aerosol container



Oct. 25, 1966 R. H. ABPLANALP ET AL 3,281,018

HEATING UNIT FOR AEROSOL CONTAINER Filed Feb. 15, 1965 INVENTORS. R085!) T HENRY ABPL ANA LP \JOHN RICHARD FOCHT EARL WILL/AM T'R/BOU BY 4 4-, W5

United States Patent HEATING UNIT FOR AEROSOL CONTAINER Robert Henry Abplanalp, Bronxville, and John Richard Focht and Earl William Tribou, Yonkers, N.Y., assignors to Precision Valve Corporation, Yonkers, N.Y., a

corporation of New York Filed Feb. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 432,544 12 Claims. (Cl. 222146) This invention relates to a unit having a self-contained catalytic heating chamber for effecting an indirect heat exchange between an energy source and the discharging contents of an aerosol container to thereby heat said contents upon actuation of the valve releasing said contents from the pressure container.

In the past, to heat the discharging contents of an aerosol container has required an outside energy source. One practice involves providing a discharge conduit and a further conduit in indirect heat exchange relation with said discharge conduit, the material being passed through the discharge conduit and hot water through the other. Such practice is cumbersome in that it requires the user to make an attachment between the aerosol container and the hot water supply. Moreover, the relatively limited temperature of the energy source (temperature of the hot water) coupled with heat losses normally attending an indirect heat exchange system results in an unsatisfactory heating of the discharging contents. The efficiency of the heat transfer is further disadvantaged in the case where the product discharged is a foam because of the poor thermal transfer to a foam material.

Another practice has been to dispose a resistance coil about the discharge conduit of the aerosol conduit and to generate heat in said coil by passing electric current therethrough, the discharging contents being heated by indirect heat exchange. While such a system has several advantages over the so-called hot water system, again it requires the user to make the necessary connection between the outside energy source and the aersol container.

The subject invention differs substantially from the above-referred to prior practices in that it requires no outside energy source to generate heat, that is, once the heating unit is attached to the aerosol container, either permanently as a part of the aerosol container assembly or as an attachment to the aerosol container, it is possible to repeatedly heat the discharging contents of the container until exhaustion of the fuel and without resort to an outside energy source.

Broadly stated, the catalytic heating device of the subject invention comprises a heating zone or chamber having a suitable catalyst disposed therein and having a conduit through the chamber which conduit communicates at one end with the interior of an aerosol container or a conduit therefrom, and at the other end with a discharge orifice or conduit, said heating chamber and conduit therethrough being in indirect heat exchange relation. Further, when in operating position the heating chamber communicates directly with the reactants and is provided with suitable closure means to terminate the flow of either or both reactants.

The heating chamber of this invention is of the type wherein heat is evolved by contacting two or more gaseous reactants on a suitable catalytic surface and in the usual form involves the reaction of a gaseous combustible material (fuel) and the oxygen in the presence of a catalyst. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, methanol is employed as the fuel, air as the source of oxygen, and platinum in various forms as the catatlyst. Other fuels, sources of oxygen, and catalysts may be employed, the sole requirement of the reactants, in addition to their capacity to enter into the catalytic reaction, being that it be sufiiciently volatile under the conditions attending operation to provide a gaseous supply of the reactant to the heating chamber. In one form, the fuel is stored as a jellied mass, the vapor pressure of the fuel being sufficient to provide the necessary amount of the gaseous fuel to the reaction chamber.

The invention in one form may be illustrated by reference to the drawings.

The figure is a sectional view of the heating device mounted on a closure cup for an aerosol container and showing a fragmented portion of the container body and valve stem.

In the figure, the fragmented body portion of an aerosol container 1 has disposed in the top opening thereof, a pedestal cut 2 having a central opening to receive therein the valve stem 3 (shown schematically), said valve stem comprising a hollow valve stem which communicates with the interior of the body portion and the contents thereof, A housing member 4, for the catalytic heating unit has an annular upstanding wall 5, an annular bottom portion 6, integral at its outer end with said upstanding wall 5, extending a limited distance across the opening formed by the wall 5, an inner upstanding annular wall 7 integral with the inner end of the bottom portion 6, said wall having an annular horizontal ledge portion 8 forming an opening 9 of sufiicient diameter to allow passage of the top portion of the valve stem 3 therethrough and the diameter of the annular wall 7 being suflicient to receive the inverted cup portion 10 of the pedestal cup 2. The wall 5 is provided with an annular flange 11 positioned to rest on the annular flange or shoulder 12 of the pedestal cup 2. R0- tatably mounted on the upper portion of the annular wall 5 and free to move parallel to the length of said wall for a limited distance is the discharge spout housing generally designated at 13 having an annular upstanding wall 14 and a top closure member 15 integral with the annular wall 14, said top closure member having a discharge spout 16 which communicates with a conduit 17 when the rotatable housing 13 is set in discharge position, as it is shown in the figure.

A catalytic heat generating unit generally designated at 18 is mounted at its lower end on the valve stem 3 via the socket 19 and at its upper end communicates with the conduit 17 via the projection 20. The socket 19 and projection 20 extend from annular insulating members 21 and 22, respectively; insulating member 21 having a central opening which communicates with the interior of the valve stem 3 and the insulating member 22 having a central opening which communicates with the conduit 17. Disposed between the insulating members 21 and 22 is a tube 23, said insulating members 21 and 22 forming a partial top and bottom closure for said tube 23. Tube 23 has a layer (C) of suitable catalyst adhered to its ouside surface. The conduit 24 of the tube 23 passes in axial alignment with the opening in the insulating members 21 and 22.

Upper ports 25 and lower ports 26 are provided in the annular wall 5. Also upper and lower ports 27 and 28 are provided in the annular wall 14. As shown in the figure, the rotatable housing 13 is in open position and the respective ports of walls and 14 are in registry so as to provide top and bottom conduits between the exterior of the heating device and the region surrounding the catalytic heat generating unit 18. By rotating the housing 13, the ports 27 and 28 are brought out of registry with the ports 25 and 26. Further, the annular wall 14 has an annular recessed portion 29. An annular bead 30 is disposed within said recessed portion. A spring 31 is mounted within the housing member 4, said spring exerting an upward force on the top closure 15 of the housing 13, the housing 13 being prevented from escaping its positional relation with the wall 5 by having the shoulder 32 abut the bead 30.

Lug 33 depending from the underside of the closure 15 and lug 34 extending from the top surface of the annular Wall 5 may be positionally disposed with relation to each other, such that on rotation of housing 13 a set distance, the lugs 33 and 34 will communicate and prevent further rotation. By positioning the ports in the walls 5 and 14 such that they are in registry when the lugs 33 and 34 are in contacting relation upon rotating the housing in one direction and out of registry when the housing is rotated in a counter-direction, a convenient and simple opening and closing of the air ports is obtained.

Fuel (F) (a jellied alcohol, for example) is shown in the figure disposed in the annular cup bounded by walls 5 and 7 and the bottom portion 6.

The several components of the heating device may be moulded of plastic, except that the sockets 19 and 20 and the members 21 and 22 are constructed of insulating materials and the reaction tube cylinder 23 is a metal. An aluminum cylinder in which the outer surface has been pitted and wherein the pitted surface has been rolled in platinum dust has been found suitable as a catalytic surface. Another suitable form is to coat the aluminum cylinder with a carrier such as aluminum oxide on which is coated finely divided platinum black. Platinum sponge is also a suitable form for the catalyst, though it is less active as a ctatlyst then platinum black.

While aluminum has been mentioned asa suitable metal for constructing the reaction cylinder, other metals may be used. However, it is desirable that the metal chosen be a good thermal conductor.

Further features of the device of this invention reside in the port arrangement and restricted conduit through the reaction cylinder. The upper and lower port arrangement provides a desirable circulating effect within the reaction chamber. During storage, when the reaction chamber is closed to incoming air, the chamber becomes laden with fuel vapor (methanol). Upon opening the ports, the heavier fuel vapor flows out the lower ports causing air to enter through the upper ports and come into the contact along with the fuel vapor at the catalytic surface. As the catalytic reaction initiates and the reaction products are formed, they being lighter than the incoming air cause a reversal of the circulation. Thus, after an initial period, air is caused to flow into the reaction chamber through the lower ports, such action providing a sweeping effect across the surface of the fuel source and aiding in its conveyance to the catalytic surface. A further feature of the port construction which aids in the circulation is that the upper ports are larger than the lower ports, thus during the reaction, the gases within the reaction chamber tend to exit through the larger ports and allow entry of air through lower ports.

As shown in the figure, the conduit 24 is substantially constricted. With such construction, and particularly in the instance where the contents of the aerosol container discharge in a foam state, the efiiuent from the container is maintained in a liquidus state or at least in a less foamy state, and consequently, there is more efiicient heat transfer between the reaction cylinder and the effiuent. In operation, the contents of the aerosol container are heated and discharged as follows:

Upon rotation of the housing 13, and opening of the ports, the fuel and air react on the catalytic surface generating heat within the reaction chamber and cylinder. Upon opening of the valve (not shown) communicating the valve stem 3 with the contents of the aerosol container, said contents are conveyed through the valve stem 3, through the conduit 24 where they are heated by contacting the cylinder 23 and subsequently pass to and through the discharge spout 16.

What is claimed is:

1. A catalytic heating unit in combination with a dispenser container having a product therein comprising: a reaction chamber, an oxygen and gaseous fuel source communicating with the reaction chamber, an agent disposed within the reaction chamber that is capable of catalyzing an exothermic reaction between the oxygen and fuel source, a conduit disposed in indirect heat exchange rela tion with the reaction chamber, which conduit communicates at one end with the product discharge conduit of the container and at its other end with a discharge port, and means for closing the reaction chamber to entry of at least one of the reactants.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the heating unit has means adapted to mount the heating unit within a top opening of the container.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein the agent is platinum, the oxygen source is air and the fuel is methanol.

4. The combination of claim 3, and further comprising a zone for storage of the fuel and wherein said zone the fuel is stored as a jellied mass.

5. The combination of claim 1, and further comprising disposing the reaction chamber in a housing member having upper and lower ports communicating the reaction chamber and the exterior of the heating unit.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein the conduit in indirect heat exchange with the reaction chamber is of restricted dimension relative to the discharge conduit.

7. A catalytic heating unit in combination with an aerosol container comprising a housing which for-ms the bottom and side wall of the reaction chamber and is shaped to be received into the well portion of the closure cup of an aerosol container, said housing having a port through a wall thereof and further having an opening in its bottom portion to receive the upper end of a hollow valve stem, a reaction surface member disposed within said housing and comprising a cylinder having a catalyst capable of catalytically energizing an exothermic reaction, disposed on the outer surface thereof, said cylinder having end closures each having a hollow tube projecting outwardly therefrom and a conduit therethrough which communicates at each end with the hollow tube of the adjacent end closure, one tube providing attaching means for a conduit leading to a discharge port and the other hollow tube providing attaching means for a hollow valve stem of an aerosol container, a second housing having top and side wall portions, which housing is rotatably mounted on the side wall of the reaction chamber housing, and further having a conduit leading to a discharge port, said second housing further having a port therethrough which upon appropriate rotation of said housing will cause registry and deregistry of the ports in both housings.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein there are upper and lower ports in both housings which communicate upon suitable rotation of the second housing.

9. The combination of claim 7, wherein the conduit through the cylinder is of restricted dimension relative to the discharge conduit.

10. The combination of claim 7, and further comprising a jellied mass of fuel and wherein the catalyst is platinum.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein the fuel is methanol.

12. The combination of claim 7, wherein the second References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 713,531 11/1902 Taylor 12643 1,836,162 12/1931 George.

Steven 126-263 Cohen 126263 X Gardner.

Ryan et a1 126-263 Abplanalp 222-146 Lerner 222146 Friedenberg 222146 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CATALYTIC HEATING UNIT IN COMBINATION WITH A DISPENSER CONTAINER HAVING A PRODUCT THEREIN COMPRISING: A REACTION CHAMBER, AN OXYGEN AND GASEOUS FUEL SOURCE COMMUNICATING WITH THE REACTION CHAMBER, AN AGENT DISPOSED WITHIN THE REACTION CHAMBER THAT IS CAPABLE OF CATALYZING AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION BETWEEN THE OXYGEN AND FUEL SOURCE, A CONDUIT DISPOSED IN DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH THE REACTION CHAMBER, WHICH CONDUIT COMMUNICATES AT ONE END WITH THE PRODUCT DISCHARGE CONDUIT OF THE CONTAINER FOR CLOSING THE REACTION CHAMBER TO ENTRY OF AT LEAST ON OF THE REACTANTS. 